Shalhevet’s 18-person debate team won six awards, including four Best Delegate gavels, last weekend at Princeton Model Congress in Washington, D.C. The last time Firehawk debaters received four best delegate awards at Princeton was in 2014.

The conference, which took place Nov. 10 – 12, was the team’s second in-person competition since the Covid-19 pandemic and its first time attending the Princeton event in-person since 2019. The team competed last February at Harvard Model Congress in Boston.  

Team co-captain Keira Beller was awarded Best Delegate in the House, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in one of the competition’s Senate groupings. Fellow senior Daniel Nosrati was awarded Best Delegate in Government Reform in a model House.

Juniors Tali Liebenthal and Nettie Wolkind were both awarded Best Delegate in their committees: International Relations, and Environment and Public Works, respectively. 

Team co-captain Avi Litvak was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Judiciary Committee. Junior Rami Melmed was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Government Reform Committee. 

Instead of competing on Friday night and Saturday, the team observed Shabbat at American Friends of Lubavitch. 

In addition to Keira and Avi, the other co-captain this year is Jonathon Soroudi. Model Congress team faculty advisor Mr. William Reusch and Judaic Studies teacher Dr. Sheila Keiter chaperoned the trip.

The conference was held at the Washington Hilton Hotel. 

Here are Shalhevet’s awards:

Best Delegate

Keira Beller – Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee 

Daniel Nosrati – Government Reform Committee (Red House)

Tali Liebenthal – International Relations Committee

Nettie Wolkind – Environment and Public Works Committee

Honorable Mention

Avi Litvak – Judiciary Committee

Rami Melmed – Government Reform Committee (White House) 

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